72% of Toronto Citizens Demand Separated Bike Lanes

Sitting next to a Canadian at work has many perks, and one of them is that he keeps me in the loop on cycling happenings with our neighbor to the north. 

Forum Research, Canada’s largest survey firm, conducted an automated telephone survey that found strong support for Mayor Rob Ford’s physically separated bike lanes on downtown streets. Out of 1,050 survey participants, 72 percent said that they want the bike lanes, the Toronto Star reports.

This month, Ford’s bike plan is to be unveiled, proposing separated lanes on Sherbourne, Wellesley, Harbord, Beverly, John and Richmond streets (see plan). The parallel routes running in all directions will help Toronto have a grid of options for their cyclists.

Cities across North America, including New York and Montreal, are building more separated bike lanes, the amenity non-cyclists say would allay their safety concerns about biking in the city.